Classification-signal for locomotives



S. B. YATES.

CLASSIFICATION SIGNAL FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

APPLICATION FILED on. 9. 1920.

1,395,326. Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHE! I.

Hill S. B. YATES. CLASSIFICATION SIGNAL FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 9, 1920. v

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.'

Moewtoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLASSIFICATION-SIGNAL FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed October 9, 1920. Serial No. 415,775.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SHEPPARD Born YATES, citizen of the United States, residing at Hamlet, in the county of Richmond and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Classification-Signals for Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in classification signals for locomotives. Heretofore, it has been customary to mount signal lanters upon the front of a locomotive at the opposite sides thereof, the lanters having lenses of different colors as for example, white and green, so as to indicate, in the first instance, that the locomotive is hauling an extra train and, in the second instance, to indicate that two or more trains are running on the same schedule. Also it has been customary to employ flags and lights of corresponding colors for this purpose. However, ordinary flags, which are commonly made of cloth, are often misplaced and when repeatedly used they become excessively worn or are torn from their staffs and consequently have to be replaced by new ones.

In consideration of the foregoing, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improvement in the nature of a substitute for the flags of cloth heretofoire employed, the improvement residing in flags of a more durable material which mayv be" selectively displayed and which will not be likely to become damaged or displaced. I

Another object of'the invention is to so mount the flags embodying "the invention that when not displayed they may be housed in such a manner as to be effectually protected from the elements and, therefore, not become weather beaten.

Another object of the invention is to provide' means for holding a'ldisplayed flag at l suchan'angle that itwill be plainlyvlsible to the engineer or fireman of an'oncoming locomotive or to a station or'tower man, and in this respectthe invention presents another advantage-over the cloth flag inasmuch as a flag of the latter type will stream or stand directly rearwardly" from its standard and thus not be as readily visible as if it were streaming or standing at an angle to the line of travel of the. locomotive Another object of-theinvention is to so construct. portion thecn'eans for hous ing a flag which is not displayed that it will serve as a means for bracing in displayed position a flag which is to serve as a signal.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the housing means for the flags and to so mount the flags that a pair of the latter may be employed in connection with each other and selectly displayed or both housed.

A further object of the'invention is to provide an improved signal lantern for employment in connection with the flag signal.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating the signal devices embodying the present invention mounted upon a locomotive,

Fig. 2 is a. perspective view of one of the signal devices, one of the flags being displayed and the other being housed,

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line l4l of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view, parts in elevation, illustrating the flag staff and the manner of mounting the flag thereon, V

Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the the signal devices embodying the invention is arranged ateach side of the front of the locomotive, the devices being indicated in general by the numeral 1 and each being supported in place by means of a bracket 2 secured to one side of the housing for the flag signals and having a shank portion 3 fitting in a socket member 4: upon the side of the locomotive. l

The signal devices of the invention are of counterpart construction. and, therefore,

a description of one will suiiice for both.

Each signal device comprises a casing 5 which, as above stated, is supported by the bracket 2 upon the-side of the locomotive and this casing, which is designedtoj house the flag signals when the said signals are not displayed, may be formed of sheet metal or be of any other construction and is in the form of a rectangular box which is open at its 1601) although its said top is designed to be a lid 6 hingedly or from display position.

mounted, as at 7', upon one side wall of the said box. Thus, the lid maybe swung laterally upwardly to permit of access to the box or downwardly laterally to close the open top of the box, and it may be held in this last mentioned position by any suitable latch device indicated by the numeral 8. The forward end wall of the box is provided with a hollow offset at its top indicated by the numeral 9, and mounted within this offset is a spindle 10 extending transversely of the upper forward corner of the box. Pivotally mounted upon this spindle and spaced by means of an interposed collar 11, are collars 12 having bosses 13 provided with threaded sockets 14: into which are fitted the inner ends of flag staffs 15. Thus,

the flag staffs may be swung to assume ahorizontal position within the box and beneath the lid 6 thereof or to avertical position to display the respective flags carried thereby. In Fig. 3 of the drawings, for

example, one of the flag staffs is shown in lowered or horizontalposition whereas the other staff is shown in upright or display position and when either staff is in this latter position it is supported rigidly by the engagement of the forward end edgeof the lid 6 against its rear side, the forward side of the box 13 of the respective collar 12' resting against a shoulder 16 formed by the edge of the top wall of the hollowolfset 9. It will be understood that the collars 12 of the two flag staffs are independently pivoted.

upon the spindle 10 so that these staffs may be selectively swung about said spindle to The flags associated with the two staffs of each signal device will be of different colors and each flag, which is indicated in general by the numeral 17, comprises a sheet metal plate 18 approximately of rectangular form except that one outer corner of the plate is round d or curved as at 19, to permit of passage of this corner past the upper edge of the rear end wall of the box or casing 5 when the flag staff is swung upwardly or downwardly. The forward edgevportion of the plate 18 is bent or rolled to tubular. form providing a sleeve 20 rotatably fitted upon the respective staff 15, the sleeve being closed by rivets or other suitable fastening elements 21'.

V lVhileth'e sleeve 20 of the flag is rotatably fitted upon the respective staff 15, it is designed. to beheld against rotation except when intentionally adjusted, andfin order that this may be accomplished, the sleeve is formed in its lower. end with notches 22 and 23 designed to receive a stud 24; projecting radially from one-side of'the staff 15. The notches 22 and23, and the stud 24: are so located that when the stud is in engagement in the notch 22, as shown in Figs. 5 and .i6-of-the drawings, the flag 18 will extend directly rearwardly' from the staff 15 in a plane in the line of travel of the locomotive and when the flag is thus positioned, it may be lowered into the housing box or casing 5 when its respective staff is swung downwardly about the spindle 10. On the other hand, when the staff is swung to vertical position and the sleeve 20 of the flag is rotatably adj-usted about the staff until the notch 23 receives the stud 24:, the flag will wardly upon the staff to bring the notch 22 or the notch 23, as'the case may be, clear of the stud 2 1, and in order to normally yieldably hold the sleeve in a lowered position and prevent accidental upward shifting of the sleeve, a spring 25 is arranged upon the upper end of the staff 15 and bears at its upper end against a suitable stop ele ment such as a cross pin 26 passedthrough the staff 15, and at its lower end against a washer 27 whichrests against the upper end of the sleeve. When either flag isin upright or display position, the lower edge of the flag plate 18 will rest upon the upper side of the lid -6 for the casing or box 5 in the 'manner shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of'the drawings, thuslfurther bracing the flag in its display position. When either flag is lowered into the casing it will rest at its lower edge upon a supporting bridge piece 28 arranged within the bottom of the casing.

The upper edges of theside walls of the to enable one to readily grasp the sleeve 20 of either-flag for the purpose of. swinging the flag upwardly to display position.

Fromthe foregoing it will be understood that either flag may be raised to displayl cylindrical form and provided in its circumferential wall with four perforated areas 33 which are'equi-distantly spaced andover which and upon the exterior of the casing are arranged lenses'or bulls eyes34, two

casing are provided with notches :30 so as ofwhich will be; white and the: remaining twogreen. 'Any suitable source of light such for exampleas an electric lamp (not shown) may be arranged in any suitable manner within the .lamp housing 32, and

the rays fromthis" lamp will. be visible through the'lenses 34, the perforations 33 serving to diffuse the rays and thus suitably subdue the light. The lenses 34 are, furthermore, so arranged that when a lens of one color is presented directly forwardly, the other lens of a corresponding color will be presented laterally outwardly, thus giving a signal to the frontand to the side. The lamp housing 32 is preferably open at its top and is fitted at its upper end into an inverted socket 35 within which it is retained by studs 36 which project from the rim of the socket 35 and which seat within bayonet slots 37 formed in the upper edge portion of the circumferential wall of the lamp housing. Spring catches 38 are preferably provided upon the side wall of the lamp housing at the inner ends of the slots 37 and engage with the studs 36 in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, so as to lock the lamp housing against rotation within the socket 35 after it has been fitted into the socket and turned to seat the studs 36 in the inner ends of the slots 37. It will be understood that the slots 37 will be diametrically offset laterally so that the lamp housing may be removed from the socket and turned so as to display either the white or the green lenses 34:. The socket 35 is supported by means of a bracket 39 which is secured as at 40 to the outer side wall of the box or casing 5, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a signal device of the class described, a casing, a staff pivotally mounted to be swung to position housed within the casing and to position extending exteriorly thereof, a lid for the casing, and a relatively rigid plane signal member mounted upon the staff and arranged in the latter position of the staff to rest at one edge against the lid and be thus supported.

2. In a signal device of the class described, a non-rotatable staff, a relatively rigid plane signal member having a sleeve portion rotatably fitting the staff and shiftable longitudinally thereon, the sleeve member at one end having spaced notches, a stud upon the staff engageable in the notches interchangeably upon rotative adjustment of the sleeve portion of the signal member upon the staff, whereby to hold the signal member in positions of adjustment, and a spring upon the staff bearing against the other end of the sleeve portion and yieldably holding the same shifted upon the staff into engagement with the stud.

3. In a signal device of the class described, a casing, a spindle mounted transversely of one upper corner of the casing, a staff mounted upon the spindle for swinging movement to position housed within the casing and to position extending exteriorly thereof and above the top of the casing, and a relatively rigid plane signal member mounted upon the staff and having an arcuate edge substantially concentric to the said spindle, the said signal member being housed within the casing in the lowered position of the staff, and exposed exteriorly of the casing in the elevated position of the staff.

. In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

SHEPPARD BOYD YATES. [13.8.] 

